Currently, residents of the Western Cape are faced with two water dilemmas.

We are all painfully aware of the water crisis that we have found ourselves in. Most have cut back on the general amount of water used on a daily basis. The reuse of grey water for inside the home, as well as gardens, has increased as dam levels reach critical levels.

With all of this in mind, we thought we would take a look at just how much water you use at home on a day-to-day basis. Do you know how much brushing your teeth takes? Or washing the dishes? These basic activities will actually shock you!

Basic Appliances

If you have a washing machine, or dishwasher, this is how much they are using each time:

Washing Machine Twin Tub

40 l per wash

Washing Machine, Front Loader

90l per wash

Washing Machine, Top Loader

170l per wash

Dishwasher

20-50l per load

Daily Activities

These include the basics that you do on a day-to-day basis. Everything from washing your hands, to general cooking, eating, and drinking water.

Activity

Per Minute

Total

Washing your hands/face

15l

120l

Dripping Tap

1l

60l

General Cooking and cooking

10l per minute

150l

Outdoor Usage

At the moment, there are harsh restrictions on any kind of watering of plants, and filling up pools. Based on the below graph, you can see why! There are several alternatives to keeping that garden alive and watering those dry and dying plants. Either save grey water from the shower, or other activities, or create a direct feed straight into the garden! All in all, try and re-use water as much as possible.

Sprinkler or hose

10-20 L per minute

1000 L per hour

Washing car with running hose

10-20 L per minute

100-300 L

Filling a swimming pool

Up to 55,000 L

In total, it is thought that an average person uses around 80 to 100 gallons of water a day. This is around 3000 to 5000 litres, or three to five kiloliters. Based on the proposed fee hikes, residents won’t be getting the basic six kiloliters for free anymore. This will start at the basic rate of R4.56.